I have a thing for light gun games, going back to games like Duck Hunt (Clay Shooting was bliss) and GumShoe on NES. The love affair relaxed for a bit after the NES days, but came back in full force when I first saw The House of the Dead and Time Crisis in arcades. I probably put enough quarters into those machines to buy a cabinet of my own. There’s something that’s just so satisfying about holding the lightgun in your hand and blasting away at the screen.

When the Wii Remote was revealed, one of the first things I was looking forward to was the possibility of more lightgun games without having to buy any special controllers like the GunCon or what have you. When The House of the Dead 2 and 3 for Wii was announced, I was like a kid in a candy store. I couldn’t wait to jump back in. House of the Dead 2 and 3 were great, so when House of the Dead: Overkill was announced, I was quite excited. Did the game live up to my expectations? Read on to find out.

Short answer? Yes. Isaac Washington answer? Hell motherfucking yes. House of the Dead: Overkill is not for kids. When you see the big ol’ “M” on the front of the box, pay attention. This is for mature audiences only. Amusingly, it is also one of the most immature games I have ever played, but that’s beside the point. The F-bomb is dropped more times than you can count. Isaac Washington is quite the potty mouth, but that lends to his charm.

The game follows rookie AMS Special Agent G and Detective Isaac Washington on their mission to capture Papa Caesar, the man believed to be behind the rash of mutants on the loose throughout the outskirts of Bayou City. Starting out going after Caesar through “Papa’s House of Pain”, you’ll find your way to the basement where you come across Caesar himself, along with Jasper Guns, disabled genius. After Jasper injects himself with an unknown substance, a battle with him begins. Upon his defeat, you meet stripper and superbabe Varla Guns, Jasper’s sister, who vows revenge on Papa Caesar for what he did to her brother. From there, you make your way through 5 more levels of heart-pounding mayhem. The action is non-stop, and if you don’t laugh at the incredible dialog, you just may be a mutant yourself. The whole grindhouse feel of the game is amazing and a real breath of fresh air. The narration, which would normally be considered over the top, fits perfectly in this game, and the story (normally a throwaway in a light gun shooter) is interesting and fun from beginning to end. And speaking of the end, well let’s just say the last 10 minutes or so of the game are hilariously incredible. Just don’t play them around children or the elderly.

There are a few technical issues (mutants getting stuck in walls for one) but all in all, it’s a solidly made game. Really my only complaint is that you have to shake the Wii Remote to reload your weapon. I would have preferred it if it was like most other light gun style games where you aim off the screen and pull the trigger to reload, but after you get used to the shaking, it’s not too bad. The thing that annoys me with the shaking is sometimes I would get so into shooting and pulling the trigger on my Nyko Perfect Shot so quickly that I would start to reload when I was just trying to shoot, letting the enemies get an easy swipe at me. These few issues aside, however, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Pros:
- It’s hilarious
- Controls are pretty damn good
- Looks great
- The grindhouse feel is pure bliss

Cons:
- Some technical issues
- “Shake to reload” sometimes screws you up

Overall, 9/10. A must buy.

Bonus Review: Nyko Perfect Shot!

We all have the Wii Zapper by now, and we all know, frankly, it kind of sucks. Sure it gets the job done, but it’s about as uncomfortable as the Super Scope for the SNES. Thankfully, there’s Nyko.

The Perfect Shot is probably the most comfortable to hold light guns I have ever used. Sure, it’s not really a “light gun” per se, but for the Wii, it really gets the job done. Everything about it just screams quality. The whole thing is very well built. Sure it’s plastic, but it’s not cheap feeling–it actually feels very solid. And with the Wii Remote inserted, it has the perfect amount of heft. The Nyko Perfect Shot is everything the Wii Zapper should have been, and more. There’s even a pass-through for the extension port on the bottom of the handle, allowing you to plug in your nunchuk. Speaking of nunchuks, the Nyko Kama wireless nunchuk receiver fits perfectly in the pass-through port. But that’s another review.

Pros:
- Solid feel
- Pass-through on the bottom doesn’t get in the way
- Works great
- Very affordable

Cons:
- None. Seriously.

Overall, a 10 out of 10. Sure it’s just a shell, but it works oh so well. Hey, that rhymes!